Embracing and integrating spontaneous volunteers in emergency response – A climate related incident in Denmark

Abstract

The paper studies the response to a coastal flooding in Roskilde Municipality, Denmark, which included a relatively large number of spontaneous volunteers, which is a rare and practically undescribed phenomenon in Denmark. The particular focus of the study is how emergency authorities can embrace and integrate spontaneous volunteers in emergency response. In the paper an analytical model is developed abductively, which suggests that the ideology and inclusion practices of the emergency authorities are important factors that need to be studied more to understand the integration of spontaneous volunteers in emergency response. The study is based on document analysis, media and social media analysis and qualitative interviews. The study concludes that the involvement of spontaneous volunteers in emergency response contributes to emergency management quality if appropriate management approaches are applied.